Burial vault or mausoleum or the like



J. -CAHILL.

BURIAL VAULT 0R MAUSOLEUM OR THE LIKE.

- APPLICATION FILED APR. I2, 1920. 1,432,836. Patented 001;. 24, 1922.

BSHEETS-SHEET I.

IN V EN TOR.

J. CAHILL.

BURIAL VAULT 0R MAUSOLEUM OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12. I920.

1,432,83 Patented Oct. 24,1922,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l0 2 v I g /a I; CAHILL. BURIAL VAULT 0R MAUSOLEUM OR THE LIKE- APPLICATION FILED APR- 12. 1920.

1,432,835 Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

a HE T EET 2 7 x 5:1 SH 3 IN VENTOR A TO'RNEYS.

Patented Get. 24, 1922.

JOHN GAHILL, O13 LEWISIBURG, OHIO.

BURIAL VAULT OR MAUSOLEUM OR THE LIKE.

Application filed April 12, 1920. Serial No. 373,360.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, JOHN CAHILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lewisburg, in the county ofPreble and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial Vaults or Mausoleums or the like, of which the, following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings This invention relates to improvements in burial vaults or mausoleums, and the means of constructing the same, having particular reference to family vaults of standardized dimensions, as to its individual compartments or units of construction, but which may be varied at will as to the number of compartments or crypts with which the structure is to be provided. 7

It is an object of the invention to provide for constructing a vault of cement, or reenforced concrete in which all the walls, including roof, floors, and dividing partitions, will be integrally formed and which will be adapted in all respects to meet the requirements of such a structure.

It is an object of the invention to make each of the compartments or crypts externally accessible independently of the other crypts and to provide means for permanently closing and sealing, as withcement, each compartment separately, and to maintain the appearance of unitarity of the vault as a whole.

It is an object of the .invention to provide for temporarily sealing any of the compartments, after a caskethas been placed therein, until such time as the permanent sealing thereof can be effected, this arrangement having particular reference to sealing the compartments temporarily during such intervals, as in very cold weather, when the working of cement is not practicable.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a vault or mausoleum of novel architectural design, having preferably an ornamental front comprising means relative to each compartment to inscribe the name and the usual data relative to the birth and death, etc, of the dead entombed therein.

It is an object of the invention to make the structure positively vermin proof and to maintain the maximum degree of dryness therein. Thus a solid foundation of concrete, extending a considerable depth (3 to 4 feet) into the ground, is laid for the structure,, and the walls, floors, and partitions throughout are of massive construction of re-enforced concrete, thus the structure will be both moisture and vermin proof so far as external penetration of its walls is concerned. Each compartment is also provided with a drain whereby any internal accumulation of moisture will be conducted into the ground. Satisfactory conditions will thus be maintained bot-h internally and eX- ternally of the mausoleum, anda general state of conditions will be effected which will be a marked improvement over burial vaults generally, and more especially over conditions which obtain where burial is made in the usual manner in the ground.

It is an object of the invention to provide internally collapsible forms for shaping the crypts. These forms are of a novel knockdown construction and may be made of wood or metal, but preferably of metal, or part wood and part metal, assembled in any suitable manner providing for the inwardly collapsible feature which enables the form to be disassembled, after the concrete structure is completed, and the individual parts removed through the front opening of the compartment.

In connection with the internal collapsible forms, suitable forms are. also employed, as is usual in concrete construction to efiect the external outline and dimensions of the outer walls.

The particular details of construction here shown of the invention are for illustrative purposes only, and it will be understood that numerous and various changes may be made therein without departing from the broad underlying principle and the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims which, briefly stated, consists in laying a foundation of concrete preferably with a reinforcing frame of steel for the superstructure supported thereon; in supporting any desired number of inwardly collapsible forms on said frame, or otherwise, to shape the crypts, the forms being suitably spaced apart to cause the formation of massive concrete walls therebetween; in using in connection with the foundation and the interior forms suitable exterior forms to effect the outer shape and dimensions of the structure; in providing means for sealing each compartment or tomb temporarily and thereafter permanently; and in effecting a suitable front for the structure as awhole, suitable means being provided relative to each compartment for a tablet -or inscription glass or plate for the usual data relative to the dead entombed in the mausoleum.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view ofthe finished mausoleum Figs. 2 and 3 respectively are longitudinal sectional views of the two units of the internal collapsible forms;

Figs. 4 and 5 respectively are detail views, partly in cross section, taken on the lines -4L and 5 5 of Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 6 is'a detail view of the cover plate for temporarily sea-ling a crypt;

Fig. 7 is a detail view of a longitudinal section through the foundation and partof the superstructure, and

Fig. 8 is a detail view of part of the external form for shaping the outer wall and roof of the structure.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings the burial vault or mausoleum consists of an integral or unitary structure, that is to say, the floors, walls and roof are formed integrally, the material consisting preferably of concrete reinforced with a steel frame, the structure as a whole being of a suitable architectural design to effect an appropriat appearance.

The structure as here shown is of a suitable size and general arrangement for a family vault, having but a limited number of compartments or crypts, but it will be understood that this is for illustrative purposes only, and that the underlying principles of the invention may be applied to any size vault or mausoleum, and that any suitable modificrtions may be made relative to details of construction and arrangement Without departing from the essential principle or the spirit of the invention.

The compartments of crypts of the vault, as here shown, are arranged in tiers aligned in vertical and horizontal planes and extending into the structure substantially parallel one with another, each crypt being entirely separate or independent of the others, except as to the common end and partition walls of the structure. Thus a burial may be made in any of the crypts, and the open end thereof may be closed and sealed with out in anywise affecting any of the other crypts, or permanently changing the front of the mausoleum.

In Fig.7, the manner of constructing the foundation for the vault. is illustrated, which consists in laying a massive foundation 1 of concrete deep in the ground. WVhile it is not essential to the construction, it is nevertheless desirable to set up a reinforcing frame of steel, as here shown, relative to the foundation, the upright members 2 of the frame being anchored in the solid concrete bed of the foundation, and the longitudinalframe members 3 and transverse members a being secured to the upright frame members by suitable joint couplings 5, thus effecting a rigid frame structure to reinforce the concrete walls which are formed around it.

The crypts are shaped by means of inwardly collapsible forms which may be of any suitable construction either of wood or metal. As here shown for illustrative purposes, a preferred construction of sucha form consists in a closed hollow structure 6, except as to one end 7 which is open and throughwhich collapsing of the form may be effected to remove the parts thereof from the crypt after the concrete walls have been formed around the form.

The completeform may consist of any desired number of individual parts to effect a suitable assembly of the form, first, to support the weight of pressure of the con crete when the walls are formed aroundit and, second, to enable convenient collapsing of the form toremove the same from the structure. A'representative detail construction of the formwis shown in Figs. 2345. The arrangement consists preferably in a double-wall structure comprising the inner and outer walls 7 and 8 and having, preferably a "layer of Water-proofing material 9 there'between to exclude the moisture exuding from the wet cement from the interior of the crypt. The edges of the separate pieces of the structure are beveled, as shown at 9 and adjacent pieces are arranged relative to each other in'such a manner that the form will collapse readily inwardly when the bolts 10 which hold thestructure together are removed.

The forms as here shown are made in two sections, consisting of the body 11 and front end section 12 which is of larger dimensions than the .body, is bolted to'the body and serves to form the entrance to the crypt. A metal frame 13 is arranged, as here shown, substantially flush with the openend of the body section 11 which remains in the wall after the concrete structure is completed and serves as a means for temporarily closing and sealing the open end of the crypt.

The forms may be supported relative to the base 1 and reinforcing frame in any suit able manner to permit of constructing the concrete walls thereover. As here shown the forms are supported on the steel. frame in the respective positions which are to be given to the cryptsinthe concrete structure. In the present showing the forms are supported well above the round or foundation base 1 and are suitably spaced apart so that massive concrete walls will be construct ed around the forms except asto their open ends, when the cement material is formed around the structure. f i

To shape the outer dimensions of theconcrete structure, outer forms 14 are used. These may be of any suitable construction, but are preferably collapsible and arranged in units of convenient size for effective handling.

Other outer forms of suitable construction are employed to effect the roof construction. Such forms are illustrated in the drawings by the parts 15, best shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

The walls of the structure should, prefera bly be of massive proportions to render the same both moisture and vermin proof. To maintain the maximum degree of dryness within the structure, each compartment is provided, as here shown, with a drain connection 16 which extends from the center of the floor 17 of each crypt, through the foundation base into the ground, there being no outside exposure of the drain. To effect complete drainage of the structure the floors are slightly concaved or sloped downwardly toward the center where the drain connection is made; the opening of the drain being preferably covered as usual with a screen or perforated plate.

The front of the vault may be treated architecturally in any suitable manner to effect an appropriate appearance. As here shown, the structure as a whole has the appearance of a small mausoleum, the outer opening to each crypt being closed with a transparent, ornamental glass 18, which is readily removable. Within the glass, as here shown, is a tablet 19 upon which may be inscribed the usual data relative to the dead entombed in the vault.

The metal frame 18, to which reference has been made, is provided with threaded screw or bolt holes whereby a cover plate 20 may be secured thereto to close the tomb temporarily after a burial has been made therein until such time as permanent sealing of the tomb may be effected by closing the opening with a solid concrete wall.

From the foregoing detailed description both the manner of constructing the vault and the novel features of the finished structure will be readily understood. It will be seen that the capacity of the vault may be varied to any desired number of crypts, and that standard internal and external forms may be employed to effect the shape and dimensions of the structure, the forms being collapsible and adapted to be used indefinitely for the work.

As herein stated the construction here shown is of a preferred type which illustrates the broad principles of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is:

1. The herein described method of constructing burial vaults, consisting in laying a concrete foundation in the ground, in supporting a steel frame structure on said foundations having supporting members thereon above the ground, in arranging a plurality of inwardly collapsible, open end forms on said supporting members, in forniing massive concrete walls over said frame structure and said collapsible forms, and integral with said foundation, and in removing said forms to complete a vaultstructure having a corresponding plurality of crypts therein.

2. The herein described method of con structing burial vaults, consisting in laying a concrete foundation in the ground, in supporting a plurality of inwardly collapsible forms relative to said foundation above the ground, in shaping the outer contour of said vault, in forming massive concrete walls over said collapsible forms, and integral with said foundation, and in removing the forms to complete a vault having a corresponding plurality of crypts therein.

8. The herein described method of constructing burial vaults, consisting in laying a concrete foundation in the ground, in supporting a plurality of inwardly-collapsible forms, having detachable open ends, relative to said foundation above the ground, in forming concrete walls over said collapsible forms and 'ends, and integral with said foundation, and in removing said forms to complete a vault structure having a corresponding plurality of crypts with enlarged open ends therein.

4:. The herein described method of con structing burial vaults, consisting in laying a concrete foundation in the ground, in supporting a plurality of inwardly collapsible, waterproofed forms, consisting of inner and outer structures, relative to said foundation above the ground, in forming concrete walls over said collapsible forms, and integral with said foundation, and in removing said forms to complete a vault structure having a corresponding plurality of openend crypts therein.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

JOHN CAHILL. 

